Home Depot Unveils 540

Jun 19, 2023

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A 540 square-foot tiny home is now on sale at Home Depot for $44,000 — but making the home inhabitable will cost considerably more.

Dubbed the "Getaway Pad" by manufacturer PLUS 1 Homes, the larger-than-life steel-framed pre-fab home features one bedroom, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a living area and an outdoor spiral staircase that can potentially lead to a roof deck. A May 31 viral tweet featuring the home generated skepticism and interest from social media users.

"Homeownership is finally achievable," NBC News Senior Reporter Ben Collins tweeted. "Now all I need is land, skills, building materials, three contractors, a plumber, an electrician, about a month off work, patience, friends, and $44,000."

While images of the product online show the home complete with windows, those will cost you extra — as will all of the other basic elements that make a home livable.

The kit comes with the home's steel structure — or the "shell" as Plus 1 Homes calls it — and the necessary parts to assemble it. Everything else such as doors, windows, electricity, plumbing and the advertised roof deck feature will cost you thousand more.

PLUS 1 Homes

You’ll also need approval from your local government to erect the unit on your property. Tiny homes or accessory dwelling units are becoming more accepted by local zoning boards as a solution to the housing crisis, but there are still localities where they are heavily regulated or outright banned.

The steel frame of the Getaway Pad won't be impacted by termites, mold, rodents, or bugs the description notes. It also claims to be fire resistant and able to withstand extreme weather events such as hurricanes or cyclones.

The home features one bedroom, a kitchen, two bathrooms, a living area and an outdoor spiral staircase that could lead to a roof deck. At 540 square feet, it's significantly larger than a typical tiny home, which can range anywhere from 225 square feet to 600 square feet.

While it will take considerably more than the price tag to make the home inhabitable, it could still end up costing considerably less than the median existing-home price of $388,800, other social media users noted.

"It's a steal, considering it comes with two bathrooms and a roof deck," one user tweeted. "In this economy, it's either this or a cardboard box. At least inflation hasn't hit the price of tiny homes… yet!"

For tiny home shoppers looking to spend even less, Home Depot offers a number of models that are cheaper than the Getaway Pad, such as the "Getaway Mini" for $33,114 and "The Seattle" for just $15,996.

The growing popularity of tiny homes is reminiscent of the era of when pre-fabricated homes were sold at Sears and other retailers. Sears is estimated to have sold between 70,000 and 75,000 houses before the catalog was discontinued in 1940, with many of its homes still standing.

Email Ben Verde